A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains or may contain material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device including an initial qualifying sequence followed by a series of graduating player selectable award exchange sequences, and wherein the game can provide one or more consolabon tease sequences when the player decides to exchange a known award.
Gaming devices currently exist with bonus rounds in which a player has one or more opportunities to select masked bonus awards from a pattern or group of masked awards displayed to the player. When the player chooses a masked award from the pattern, the game removes the mask and either awards the player with a bonus value or terminates the bonus round with a bonus terminator. The outcome depends upon whether the player selects an award or a terminator.
In the above game, the controller of the gaming device randomly places a predetermined number of masked awards and terminators in the pattern at the beginning of the bonus round and maintains the positioning until the bonus round terminates. When the player selects a masked award, the player receives the value of the award, and the game typically displays a message that the player may continue and enables the player to select another masked award. The player then selects another masked award, and the process continues until the player selects a masked terminator. European Patent Application No. EP 0 945 837 A2 filed on Mar. 18, 1999 and assigned on its face to WMS Gaming, Inc. discloses a bonus scheme of this type.
Gaming machines also currently exist with bonus rounds in which the game selects or determines the player""s award. PCT application number PCT/AU97/00121 entitled, Slot Machine Game with Roaming Wild Card, having a publication date of Sep. 4, 1997, discloses an example. In this application, a slot machine having a video display contains a plurality of rotatable reels with game symbols. When the player receives a triggering symbol or combination, the game produces a bonus symbol. The bonus symbol moves from game symbol to game symbol temporarily changing the game symbol to a bonus symbol. If the change results in a winning combination, the player receives an award.
In the first known game, the xe2x80x9cgo-untilxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdo-untilxe2x80x9d bonus round can end quite quickly if the player selects a terminator early in the bonus round. The player blindly selects masked awards until selecting the bonus terminator, which is immediately displayed. The player knows nothing about the location of any particular award, and there is no logical incentive to select any particular masked award as opposed to any other masked award. Choosing a masked award also poses no risk to a previously accumulated award. That is, there is not incentive to stop selecting. The only logical course is for the player to continue selecting until selecting a terminator. The player""s involvement in the bonus round and thus the player""s level of enjoyment and excitement from the bonus round is thus limited.
The second known game has even less player interaction. The game completely determines the bonus round award, and the player has no affect on the outcome. The player is a mere observer to the bonus round sequence and participates only by receiving an award. In both games, the player is not prompted to calculate, weigh options, or explore any consequences of any action. To increase player excitement and enjoyment, it is desirable to provide a gaming device, and more specifically a bonus round of a gaming device, which prompts a player to calculate, weigh options and explore the consequences of the player""s selection.
In the known xe2x80x9cgo-untilxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cdo-untilxe2x80x9d bonus round, the game reveals all unselected awards and terminators associated with the pattern after the player selects a terminator. The application makes no specific reference as to how or in which manner the game reveals the unselected awards or terminators. Revealing the masks from selected and unselected awards and other gaming device components is well known in the art. No known game, however, reveals awards or other gaming device components in any particular manner or employs any particular method of deciding which CD awards, to reveal first, second, etc. It should be appreciated, that in a game which prompts a player to calculate, weigh options, and explore the consequences of the players selection, it is desirable to reveal the consequences of the player""s selection in a manner that maximizes player excitement and enjoyment.
The present invention provides a method for operation of a gaming device and preferably a bonus round of said device, whereby the player can selectively keep an award or attempt to sequentially exchange or trade up to a point or award total that enables the player to obtain a final and desirable ultimate award. The present invention can disclose the value of the ultimate award, and in either case the player knows the existence of the ultimate award. The present invention preferably discloses or reveals the value of the player""s currently held or currently obtained award. The player preferably knows that there is an ultimate award the player has an opportunity to obtain and preferably knows the award the player must risk to obtain the ultimate award. The game can reveal the value of the intermediate award steps as the player decides to go for the ultimate award or settle for the currently held award. The game preferably provides a consolation award to a player upon an unsuccessful exchange and one or more tease sequences described below.
In order for the main award exchange sequence of the present invention to proceed, the player must obtain an initial currently held award. The game can simply provide such an award to the player, e.g., xe2x80x9cYou now have 50 credits, you can keep them or try for another award.xe2x80x9d Alternatively, the game contemplates providing an initiator sequence, which is a game in and of itself. If the player is successful in the initiator sequence, the player moves on to the main award exchange sequence for a try at the ultimate award. If not, the player preferably receives a consolation award and the bonus round preferably ends. As disclosed in detail below, the present invention contemplates storing a plurality of initiator games and invoking one of them at the start of the bonus round.
If the player succeeds at the initiator game, the game preferably provides the player with an award that becomes the initial currently held award in the main award exchange sequence of the present invention. The award exchange sequence involves the player successively risking the currently held award for opportunities to trade up to higher and higher awards in order to reach an ultimate award. The player can stop at any point in the succession and keep the currently held award, at which point, the game or the bonus round preferably ends. If the player is unsuccessful in an attempt to trade up, the game preferably provides the player with a consolation award.
The present invention preferably provides one or more tease sequences during the present invention. In a tease sequence, the game sequentially prompts or teases a player who has decided to risk a current award by upgrading the current award and asking the player to rethink the player""s decision. The game contemplates providing the tease sequence using a plurality of different methods.
In one method, the game teases or prompts the player with a value higher than the player""s currently held award each time the player elects to play for the ultimate award. For example, after electing to risk the player""s current award, the game could provide the prompt, xe2x80x9cWell, let""s see what your decision would be if 20 credits are added to your total.xe2x80x9d Assuming the player""s currently held award is 80 credits, the player can change course and keep the upgraded 100 credits, which the game then awards to the player. If the player continues to play for the ultimate award and risks the 100 credits, the game can continue to upgrade the award, e.g., to 120, 150 credits, etc. Eventually, the game reveals whether the player has successfully advanced towards the ultimate award.
Alternatively, the present invention provides a tease sequence either sporadically or whenever the player unsuccessfully attempts to trade up for the ultimate award. In this instance, the game does not reveal that the player""s attempt has been unsuccessful. The player thus believes that the player is playing for the ultimate award and is risking the currently held award. If the player insists on playing for the ultimate award, the game eventually discloses that the player has lost the current award. The consolation tease sequence, in this instance, gives the player a second, third or fourth chance to win more than the player""s current award. The game can successively prompt the player, as before, by raising the value a plurality of times before disclosing the player""s unsuccessful attempt.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bonus round of gaming device, wherein the game prompts a player to calculate, weigh options and explore the consequences of the player""s selection.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an initial game, wherein the outcome of the initial game determines whether a player can play the main game of the present invention.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a gaming device having a tease sequence, wherein the game sequentially prompts or teases a player who has decided to risk a current award by upgrading the current award and asking the player to rethink the player""s decision.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.